From EMI to FMGE: Structural Mismatches in Cross-border Medical Education between China and India

With the large-scale implementation of English-Medium Instruction (EMI) in medical education at Chinese universities, a growing number of Indian students have pursued MBBS degrees in China. However, the expansion of EMI courses has not improved their low pass rates in India's Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE), revealing structural mismatches between the teaching and accreditation systems of the two countries. By comparing policy documents, this study examines how language barriers, inadequate clinical training, and challenges in cultural adaptation affect students' academic performance and the construction of their professional identities. The findings indicate that EMI curricula lack adequate language support and community medicine training, placing students at a systemic disadvantage in the FMGE. Moreover, under the logic of the global education market, students are instrumentalised as "international enrolment targets," with their actual needs and identity recognition marginalised. This paper calls for the establishment of mutual recognition mechanisms between Chinese and Indian medical education standards and the strengthening of language and local adaptation support systems to foster a fairer and more inclusive environment for international medical education.